The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-25
SOME PROPOSITIONS.

There are, connected with the subject
of domestic industries, several PROPOSE
tons worthy of consideration.
We may pass over the fact that next
to a sound agricultural basis what are
commonly called 'home manufactures
sre the life blood of a commonwealth.
This is an unquestiOned opinion.
Equally certain is the other proposition
that the man who has the common
wealth's interest most at heart is he
who, his means and opportunities con-
sidered, does most to encourage home
manufactures. All this is common place
fact.
But the proposition, or one of them
is: Why is it more difficult to sell the
products of Utah industries in Utah
than to sell the same articles in Idaho,
Montana, Wyoming or Colorado? Two
answers, inherently similar, may be
given: The people are partially dead
to their own interests; and home pro-
ducts are unfayored on the principle
that prophet is not without honor
save in his own country.
The day has passed when Utah pro-
ducts will not bear scrutiny. Even in
so limited a circumstance SIS home in
dustries, we may be forging fatal
chains about our necks by ignoring or
sighting domestic products. There is
but one way to make the community
wealthy and lf-sustaining-by manu-
featuring for ourselves and keeping at
home the millions sent east for imported
products.
Circumscribing the proposition already
advanced, it may be asked: Why is it
more difficult to sell Utah homemade
goods in Salt lake City tnan in the rest
Of Utah2 1t may be because III
superior advantages of Salt Lakes
citizens have made them more fastidi-
Gus. But if superior advantages are
really superior, they should teach those
enjoying them the wisdom of course
different from that now pursued. If
our citizens have not the wisdom to see
the necessity for sustaining local indus
tries, then their superior advantages
are very dlsadvantsgeous.
Again: Why is it that local merchants
demand longer time for payment on the
products of local industries than they do
for the same class of merchandise if
It be imported? The common sense way
0T Of In
would be demanded for payment of
local than to meet the payment of i'm
ported goods. Un ess the imported
goods sell proportionateIy more readily,
certainly local merchants can afford,
on business principles, to pay local
manufacturers earlier because the
money is in local circulation and is
bound to find its way back to them
Sixty days should be enough time on
homemade products that are at all
marketable.
Moreover it is complained that, in
addition to demanding longer time,
local merchants, as custom,
purchase only about one-quarter
as much of local products at
q time as they do of imported goods,
relying on their ability to fill in stock
without delay, and yet refusing to give
the manufacturer a share in the bene-
fits the merchant thus enjoys. This
may be Individual thrift, but it lacks
evidence of a broad community vel
fare.
A last proposition is: Why should
local manufacturers fight each other?
There is no reason. 1t is idiocy. Local
manufacturers are barely able to supply
one-tenth OF the local demands. To
fight, therefore, is suicide. Or can any
good reason be given why these condi-
tons should continue? If so, we ought
to have that reason at once.